Tralineate – Ike Antz Leap (Review)

Tralineate is a one man death metal band from the US and this is his debut album.

Ike Antz Leap features 52 minutes of death metal with occasional progressive and orchestral flourishes.

The songs on this album are muscular death metal tracks, influenced by classic death metal, but not completely limited by it. Some progressive elements can be heard here and there, but it’s the orchestral parts that really stand out as the main enhancements, when they appear.

This is an album that’s largely well-written and it’s clear that a lot of creative energy and love has gone into it. The orchestral aspect of the music is kept relatively subtle, and is integrated into the music well, rather than being something that has been slapped on as an afterthought just for the sake of it. I also like that these parts aren’t overly used, adding highlights to the death metal core rather than swamping it in ostentatious opulence.

I like the singer’s voice; he has a satisfying growl that’s not massively deep, but still has a decent character to it.

This is a very promising debut album from someone with a clear knowledge of the intricacies of death metal. With a few stylistic tweaks and an improved production, album number two should be something to look forward to.